The Russellville Democrat., 1887-02-09

| ing me.
THAT crime was committed against
me. | was the victim--they were the
criminals. ] was helpless they were
pitiless. They ought to have loved me
they fling me from them.
II owed them my life-but is life a
gift? Mine, at all events, was simply q
curse. After their shameful abandon
ment OF me, | owed them nothing but
revenge. They perpetrated against me
the most inhuman, the most mon
strous act which 1t is possible to COM
nit against a human being.
'sThe man who il cursed at strikes
| back; the man who is robbed seeks to
wrest back from the robber by force,
that which belongs to him. The man
who is duped, Knocked, martyrized,
kills; the man who has his face slapped
in public, kills; the man who is dis
honored, kills. / have been worse
robbed, worse duped, worse martyr
ized, worse insulted, and dishonored
morally than any one of those whose
anger you might rondone.
II have avenged myself; | have kill
ed. That was my legitimate right |
took their happy life away in exchange
for that hideous life which they impos-
ed upon me.
"You may talk OF parricidel Were
they ever to be considered my parents
| these people by whom was ragard-
ed merely as an abominable burden,
d terror, D load of infamy-these peo.
pie for whom my birth was calam-
ity, and my life q perpetual menace OF
shame? They sought only their own
sgotistical will, they had child they
did not want. They suppressed that
child. And my turn cttme at last to
suppress them likewise.
"And, nevertheless, it is only alittle
while ago, that was ready to leave
| them.
about two years ago, as have al
ready told you, the man who was my
father entered my shop for the first
time. | had no Suspicion then. de
ordered two articles offurniture made.
He had previously-as ] afterward
learned-made inquiries about me OF
the parish priest, under promise OF
secrecy. as you may well imagine.
"He came back often; gave me plenty
OF work to do, and paid me well. Some
times he would even converse with me
about this topic or that topic--differ-
ent things. / felt an atfectionate re-
gard for him.
About the commencement OF the
year he brought to my place, for the
first time, his wife--my mother. When
she came In she trembled so much that
at first supposed her to be afflicted
with some nervous disease. Then she
asked for chair and glass OF water.
She said nothing; she stared at my
furniture like a crazy woman; and when
he asked her anything she could only
answer, Yes No, at random.
By the time she left / had begun to
think that her mind was slightly al
fected.
"She came again the following
month. That time she was calm
and self-possessed. They gave me
quite a large order, and chatted
with me for quite a considerable time.
/ saw her three times more after that
without suspecting anything; but, 10
and behold, one day she began to
question me about my life, about my
childhood. about my parents.
Madam / said my parents were
miserable wretches, who disowned
me-.
"When I said that she pressed her
hand over her heart and fell senseless
to the floor. / thought to myself at
once, That is my mother' But l
knew better than to betray myself.
waited to see her come again.
"You may be sure / made inquiries.
| learned they had only been married
the July before, nay mother had then
been a widow three years. There
were whispered rumors that they had
loved during the lifetime OF the hus.
band; but there was no proof. i, /
was the proof-the proof they had be-
gan by hiding, and had afterwards
hoped to destroy.
II waited. She came again one
evening, accompanied, as usual, by
my father. That day she seemed to
be very much affected. do not know
why. Then, Just as she was going
away, she turned and said to me:
II wish you well, because you APP
pear to be good young man and an
Industrious one. You will be thinking
about getting married one of these
days; | want to help you to choose
yourself wife that you know will
suit you. myself was once married
against my will, and know how much
suffering an unfortunate match may
cause. Now am free, without chill
dren and rich-mistress OF my own
fortune. Here is your dowry.'
''She handed me big sealed envel-
ope / looked at her very hard.
said to her;
I" You are my mother !.
"She shrank back little and hid
her face with her hands, so as not 10
see me. He-the NANNY father
caught her In his arms and shouted
to me;
"'Why, you must be crazyp
al answered: Not bit. knowyou
two are my parents. You cannot
fool me that way. Confess the truth
and keep your secret; will have no
i'll will against you; ! will remain just
what | am cabinetmaker.'
"He moved back toward the door.
supporting his wife in his arms she
was sobbing. brushed to the door,
locked it. put the key in my pocket,
and said again:
Look at her, and dare to deny
again that she is my mother
Then he lost his temper, turned
white terrified at the idea that the
scandal which had been so long hush
ed up might burst out all of a sudden
that their position, their homer
would all be lost at once; he suffered
out:
"sYou are n villain irving tn black